The Agents Past America
by Harmony Valenka Smith
Summary: Book 5 of the Agents Series and sequel to The Agents Through Africa, Penelope finds herself in a different place than she was expecting. As for the rest of the gang? It's taking everything they have to find themselves in their pseudo-world. Rated T for mild action violence, blood, and intense scenes.
1. Prologue

**Welcome back to the Agents series! Last time, Penelope was definitely** ** _not_** **in the past or anywhere close to where she needed to be. The Enigma and Doofenshmirtz switched bodies and the Chronological Distortion started. Maxwell had his innocence magically taken away and everyone else was being evacuated by ALPHA and O.W.C.A. Just a little recap ;) Now, it is time for the disclaimer: I do not own** ** _Phineas & Ferb. _****All rights to all products go to their proper owners. With that said, please enjoy Book 5 of the Agents Series.**

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Prologue

"Eep," said Penelope nervously. One of the Norm-bots shot a laser at her and she took it as her cue to leave. She revved up her bike and sped away. The chase was on as they went down many of the same streets she had took before exiting the portal. Everything was the same, but there were stark differences as well.

Another laser shot at Penelope that threw her from her bike. She fell, hard, on her back and felt her head start to hurt. She fought to stay awake as she became aware of the fact she was being surrounded. She was getting a concussion for sure, but she didn't have long to think on it before one of the Norm-bots had her in its clawed hand. It was not a pleasant situation.

 _What did_ I _do?_ Thought Penelope. The grip around her body tightened slightly and she began panicking. " _Ack,_ " was all she could get out since the hand, as much as it was crushing her ribcage, was also squeezing her throat. It was getting harder to breathe. " _Help…_ " it was barely a whisper. Her panicking was not helping. Her concussion was not helping. It would not be long before she would fade away, whether to unconsciousness or death. All she could think was that she was alone.

Suddenly, a whooshing sound came from the sky and a cla-clang sounded from behind the Norm-bot strangling Penelope. She noticed a Norm-bot collapse to the ground. She was vaguely aware of voices as the Norm-bots fell around her. Finally, the Norm-bot holding her had its head severed by a long silver staff. It fell, as did Penelope, but unlike the bot, Penelope was caught before she hit the ground.

Penelope felt herself be gently lowered to the ground and she saw people flooding around her. She could not distinguish anything, really, since it was hard enough trying to stay awake. Before she could think further on this, she was picked up again and felt herself fly a short distance away.

She, and the one holding her, as well as some others were in an elevator, she vaguely realized. They were going down and Penelope wondered if they might be going to Perry's lair. _Perry's lair… the only humans who know about that..._ Her eyes shot open in realization and she jerked free from the one holding her.

Her concussion was still making it hard to stay awake and her vision was still blurry, but… she could have sworn she saw Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Buford, Candace, and… _Perry?!_ Everyone looked so different and there were some of them who should not have known Perry's lair existed and yet… that was where they were going, wasn't it?

When they finally arrived on the right floor, she realized it wasn't Perry's lair, but someone else's. She didn't recognize this lair beyond the fact that it was an O.W.C.A. lair and that it was pink. Consciousness was slipping away from Penelope's grasp as she felt herself become more stressed. The last thing she saw before passing out was Baljeet and a few of the Fireside girls in black instead of their usual, cheery orange.

"Whoa, I guess she was hurt more than we thought," said Phineas, picking up Penelope.

"Where did she come from?" asked Baljeet.

"We saved her from the Norm-bots," replied Phineas. "If it hadn't been for Perry, we might not have known she was out there."

Perry signed with his hands: " _I can always feel it in my circuits when the Norm-bots are close. They were doing a normal patrol route until something disturbed them. I was close enough to them that I saw what they saw. There was a flash of light and she came from out of nowhere on a bike. I decided to get you guys to help. It was a good thing I did too. It didn't look like she stood a chance._ "

"Came from out of nowhere?" Baljeet pondered this. "Perhaps she is from another dimension, just like our counterparts from two years ago."

"Do you think she's from the same dimension?" asked Isabella.

"We will not know until we can ask her. In the meanwhile, what about the bike she came here on?" asked Baljeet.

Perry signed, " _It was destroyed in all the chaos._ "

"It is likely that we have inadvertently destroyed her way home then. We do not have the means to send her back right now either. The Other-Dimension-inator has most likely been destroyed and we cannot risk trying to make another while Dr. Doofenshmirtz is in power," said Baljeet.

"It doesn't make any sense. Doofenshmirtz has barely showed any signs of returning to evil up until a week ago. Something has changed and it's definitely not because of Charlene," said Candace.

"It's a good thing we took out some of that programming from Perry and Pinky, then. Otherwise, they would have been back under Doofenshmirtz's command just like the other animals," said Phineas.

"Where _is_ Pinky, anyway?" asked Isabella.

" _Patrol on the other side of town,_ " replied Perry.

"Am I the only one still amazed that Perry can use sign language?" asked Buford.

"Well, he was already a secret agent turned evil cyborg to what he is now. It's not much of a stretch," replied Ferb.

They stopped talking for a moment because Penelope was moaning in her sleep and slowly waking up. "I guess we'll be learning about her sooner than we thought," said Candace.

Penelope opened her eyes and squinted at the overhead light. She held her head and looked around the room. She felt like screaming. "This- this was not a dream. I- oh, no, what happened?!" asked Penelope. She still had on her translator and she looked very panicked and afraid. Her gaze turned to Perry and he thought he saw something in her eyes: recognition, undeniably, followed by sorrow.

"Perry?" she asked.

" _I'm sorry, have we met?_ " asked Perry.

Penelope shook her head. She got down to his level and looked deep into his eyes. "Not during any of the memory lapses did you show any signs of knowing ASL, but that can't be a guarantee that you aren't currently having another one. Then again, everything's all wrong. I don't understand it. Either I've gone too far or I've been tricked," she said. She looked at Perry, from head to toe, before returning back to his eyes- or eye, rather. She put out a hand and touched his bare cheek. Perry shivered under the touch.

"This is definitely not a dream. I- heh- I have vivid dreams, but nothing near this vivid," said Penelope. Her other hand went to touch the other side of his face. It graced the metal and the red, bionic eye. "I- I need to understand, Perry. What happened?"

" _Baljeet was just saying how you might be from another dimension,_ " said Perry. Penelope's face paled as realization hit her. " _Are you?_ "

"I-" Her eyes filled with tears. "Perry once told me about this trip to another dimension. I had guessed before that it might explain where I am now, but… what I don't understand is where I went wrong. My bike should have taken me to another _time,_ not another _dimension_." Her eyes looked thoughtful before she asked, "Where is it now? I might be able to figure out what went wrong."

" _It got destroyed in the fight._ "

She was about to ask if there was anything left, but she decided against it. Something had to be going on for them to be underground like this. "Doofenshmirtz is back in power, isn't he?"

" _Yeah._ "

"So, it'll be a little difficult to get home, then." Tears fell from her eyes and she blinked them away. She ran her fingers through her hair, but the hair in her eyes was being persistent in falling back to its original position. After a few seconds of getting annoyed, her tears finally came down her face at that sobbing rate they had been wanting to. She collapsed to her knees and sobbed into her hands.

Perry knelt down and picked up her chin in one of his hands. He offered her a handkerchief, which she accepted. She dried her tears and said, "Now's not the time to cry. I _have_ to get back to the other dimension."

"Look, we'd love to send you home, but you're not exactly a priority right now. We have bigger fish to fry," said Candace. Perry glared at her before looking back to Penelope.

" _Don't worry. I'm going to do everything I can to get you home,_ " said Perry.

"Thanks, Perry, but I feel like I should at least help out here. Perry from the other dimension told me that Doofenshmirtz had been defeated before and everything should have been peaceful here. If he were here, he would not go back until the problem here was solved," said Penelope.

"That sounds great! We could always use the extra help," said Phineas. Ferb gave a thumbs-up at this.

" _But, what about getting home? Isn't there a reason you need to go back?_ " asked Perry.

"My family is stuck in a different time period with no semblance of who they once were. I wanted to take the bike to the future so that I could avoid the effects of the curse, but something must have gone wrong in my calculations or something. I _should_ be there, but…" She put a hand to her heart. "I would know if they were in danger. I know that nothing about what's going on back there is right, but I also can't help the fact that getting there now would be a lot harder than if I stayed, helped, got Doofenshmirtz back out of power, and _then_ tried to get home. Perry told me of the resources that Doofenshmirtz had here and the danger. It only makes sense."

" _Well, then, welcome to the resistance,_ " said Perry. " _You must already know our names, but we don't know yours. What is it?_ "

"Penelope Rose Flynn, at your service," Penelope replied with a slight curtsy.

"Cool! Did we adopt you in the other dimension?" asked Phineas.

"Actually, I married Perry," replied Penelope. Perry blushed at this and looked away quickly. Penelope giggled. She then proceeded to tell them the story of how she and Perry met, got married, and everything up until the point she exited the portal into the second dimension.

" _And… you're sure you'd rather stay and help us than go back?_ " asked Perry.

"It's what Perry would have wanted… and it's what _I_ want. I want to help you guys. Helping you will help me to help them," said Penelope.

"Well, then, perhaps we can give you some information along with our current plans. Maybe you can even give us some insight into how to stop Doofenshmirtz," said Baljeet.

"That sounds good," said Penelope. As they all walked over to the monitor, however, Penelope couldn't help but think: _If they are here and Perry doesn't know who I am, then where is this dimension's me? More importantly, where's this dimension's Enigma?_

* * *

 **The plot thickens. I copied some of the wording from the last chapter of the last story into the first few paragraphs of this story. It just seemed to flow well. I think next chapter would be a good time to address what is going on in the first dimension though. For now, what did you guys think of the addition of the second dimension into the plot? I thought it'd be a cool idea and I'm glad I added it. Suddenly, my little universe gets bigger ;) Anyway, until next chapter, please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


	2. Chapter 1: Strings

Chapter 1: Strings

Perry

It was a quiet, gloomy afternoon. The rain was coming down too hard to ignore, but light enough that there were no floods in the streets. My neighbors, Ichabod Crane and Victor Frankenstein, were out on another case. The young men were up-and-coming detectives. I suppose I ought to have chosen a different profession, especially since the charmers were cheating me out of so many cases. I needed cases, not just for money, but also to distract from my strange thoughts.

Ever since I could remember, I had been having these… visions. There have been theories suggested of reincarnation; in other words, of people being reborn from different lives. That was a sort of hell I didn't wish for, to be reborn again and again, stuck in eternal purgatory. I didn't think God hated me _that_ much.

The year is 1899. We shall be entering a new century soon. Such thoughts as mine needed to be put out or else I might see more trouble than I would care for. Yet… no matter how hard I try, they only seem to get stronger. Not only am I seeing strange places and people I have never met, but all of my senses seem to be in the moment. Every odor, every taste, every touch… it all felt so real.

I turned from the window back to the room. Perhaps my neighbors were not the only ones who were stealing my business. My sitting room had been turned into an investigation area. My thoughts from my visions plagued me so much, I had to put them on display. I thought having them out of my head would make them make more sense, but this was not the case. Everything was as a puzzle as ever. Sketches I had drawn were pinned up on the walls and to the ceiling and they all hung from strings.

There were a few sketches of a minotaur. There were sketches of silver dragons. There were sketches of people I knew and didn't know in strange clothing. There were technologies from fantasy. There were lights I had seen and sounds I remembered that made no sense to me. While dreaming, it had all seemed perfectly logical, but upon waking, I was in a confused daze.

Then, there was _her._ A turquoise platypus with bangs covering her left eye. The eye that was visible was a shining, radiant blue. It was like staring into the night sky, only more. They never remained that color though. They would change to a violet shade when she became emotional. They would turn red when she carried a look of lust upon her face. They would turn an icy light blue whenever she was angry beyond reason. These colors combined with her to form someone I knew in my dreaming state, but I did not know her in my world. Among these details, there was one final one: upon waking, I never remembered her name and I was sure I knew it while I was sleeping. My sketches of her, though accurate enough, could never capture everything.

A knock upon my door disturbed me from further musings. I sighed and went to answer it. "Vlad! Old friend! Won't you let us in?" asked Ichabod. Victor, quiet as ever, was close behind him. I opened the door and let them enter.

"What brings you two here?" I asked.

"We just solved another case, of course," replied the red-haired youth.

"Surely you did not mean to come all this way just to gloat, did you?" I asked.

"Very perceptive of you, Dracula. We were just wondering how Christine was these days."

"She wants nothing more to do with you, Ichabod."

"That's only because you took her away from me and fed her useless lies!" the red-head back-handed me across the face and I fell back. "You're weak, Vlad Dracula. Someday, she'll see that and come back to me."

"I will never allow it," I replied coldly.

"If it's all the same to you, platypus, then perhaps we can just kill you," said Victor, combing his lengthy green hair out of his face.

"She's gotten better since coming away from you two. Why would I send her back?" I asked. I cowered underneath the table in the corner.

Ichabod got on one knee and drew close to me, saying, "There will come a day when you don't have much choice. Don't make us bring Mr. Hyde here… or, perhaps you'd like to take it up with someone higher. Someone like… Frederick?"

"What would Frederick want with Christine?" I asked.

"The same thing every man wants with Christine, Dracula. Surely you've noticed what being around her does?" asked Ichabod.

"I have. It makes good men into monsters," I replied.

He shook me by the shoulders and scolded, "Think! Man! Think! There is something of the supernatural about her. Among giving men power beyond reason, she might even be able to grant immortality. Imagine, living forever. What I might do in that kind of time."

"And yet you wonder why I make her stay here." I pleaded, "Please, seek her no longer."

"If you won't talk, then you know what must happen. Right?"

"Go ahead. You won't break me." He and his cohort began throwing punches at my ribcage and face. They even took turns throwing me into the walls. It was everything I could do to keep it together. I was not made for fighting nor was I trained for it… but no one could say I didn't know how to take a hit. They quit when I lost consciousness.

When I awoke, I was on my sofa, looking into the sapphire eyes of Christine. Her long black hair was curled and tangled. I knew she often twirled her hair when nervous and, from her hiding spot behind the bookcase, she certainly must have been nervous when she heard those men.

I put a hand to her face as she dabbed my forehead with a wet cloth. She smiled gently at me. "My dear Christine, what did I do to deserve a gem like you?" I asked.

"Well, you certainly never heed my advice. I would say you are certainly lucky I stay around," she replied.

"Perhaps if you told me more about how or why you are as you are, I might be more understanding."

"You told me you would never ask."

"Then, I'll ask a different question. What sort of damage have I accrued this time?"

She laughed. "Nothing less than the usual." She sighed, nearly agitatedly. "You lose more blood than anyone else I know."

"It is the price I pay for being a gentleman in a strongman's world."

She smiled. "Don't ever change that."

I smiled back. "I won't." She continued tending to my wounds and I felt myself being lulled to a more peaceful sleep.

I was keenly aware I was dreaming once again. I was in a dark place that felt cold and there was a flat surface beneath me. A light began shining in the distance and came closer, slowly. I kept my heart at a steady pace. If I panicked, the dream would end and I would have no answers.

The light turned out to be a torch being carried by- "It's you!" I said. It was the turquoise platypus once again.

She looked at me differently than I had ever seen her look at me. It occurred to me that her name was not coming to me as it usually did when I was dreaming. "I didn't think it was possible to see you again. I went to sleep, because I had to try, but… I suppose I should rest easy knowing you're safe," she said.

"Who are you? I swear we've met before in other dreams I've had."

"Have you?" she asked. I nodded. "We may be separated, for now, but I'm glad I was able to get even this far." She took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "I'm afraid I can't tell you who I am or where I am. I might never see you again otherwise."

"What do you mean? This is _my_ dream. Why are you so afraid?"

"Well, you can either choose to believe that I am a reflection of the things you think and feel while awake or you can try to believe me when I say that I love you. Knowing that you're alive makes all the difference in the world.

"Listen to me, I will most likely not be able to contact you like this again. If I am able, we shall meet in a different place than this. My powers are very limited right now. As it is, there is something I have to take care of first. Some people need my help and I know you would do the same for them."

"I only wish I could. I'm not nearly as brave as you would hope I am."

She laughed, the kind of laugh I wanted to hear again for the rest of my life. "You foolish boy. If you only knew." She smiled and handed me the torch. "I'm holding you back from waking up and you need to be getting back. I promise we shall see each other again. That is an eventuality you can be sure of." She cupped my face with her hands and leaned forward to kiss me, but something pulled her back. Tears sprung to her eyes. "I will come back. I promise. Please, have faith. I have to go. I love you!" She ran off and I tried chasing after her.

"Wait!" I cried out. She kept fading away until I couldn't see her anymore. Still, I ran. "Wait!" I called again. The darkness was more numbing than ever. The light in my torch was fading and I felt something pulling me back. I let it and I woke up.

* * *

 **So, we got to see a few of our favorite characters come back. Famous horror genre names were totally intentional and that reason shall be hashed out later. Oh, and for those of you reading "Guilty Innocents", yes, I did use the same year ;) If you're not reading that one already, I encourage it. It's not part of the series, but it does have the same characters. All that aside, please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


	3. Chapter 2: Old-Fashioned Spy-Work

Chapter 2: Old-Fashioned Spy-Work

Penelope

"There's nothing here that indicates I or my brother even exist," I noted upon looking at the notes I had been poring over. The Candace and Fireside Girls of this dimension had a lot of information on Doofenshmirtz. He and his wife were criminal leaders and had enslaved the Tri-State Area before. The motive behind the takeover was rather… weak though.

"Every decision and indecision results in a different outcome. You may not even exist in this dimension," said Baljeet.

"That's the thing. I've been looking into the dimensions rather closely through this screen here…" I indicated the remains of my bike. I had taken it apart and rigged up a way to look at and track the dimensional flow so that I could figure out how to go home while learning some space-bending things in the process. "My machine indicates the very strong possibility that the closer we are to the Prime Dimension, the name I gave my dimension, then the more similar they are.

"However, upon getting further from the Prime Dimension, the more dissimilar they are in reality and means. Therefore, the likelihood that I exist in this dimension is greater. Furthermore, I have scans of all of the boys' inventions. Their remote was not going through one dimension at a time, it was actually exuding enough power to _jump past dimensions._ "

" _How did they get home so easily then?_ " asked Perry.

"Luck… or perhaps more than that. Either way, if they _had_ travelled through all the dimensions, even if they were taking them only a few seconds at a time, it would take them _years_ to get home, relatively speaking," I replied.

"If what you are saying is true, they must have been jumping thousands of dimensions," said Baljeet.

"Exactly," I replied.

"So, how is it that you can determine which dimensions are close to or far away from yours?" asked Isabella.

"This dimensional map that I have created suggests that the dimensional flow works like a pendulum. The Prime Dimension at the bottom of the swing is straighter, saner; however, upon the peak of the swing, the dimensions lose more reason, more control. They have no sense, rhyme, or reason. Therefore, the best way to go home, as opposed to ticking the pendulum back and forth, would be to simply go to the top of its swing and jump from there. I have designs for a stopper that should go off when I reach the Prime Dimension," I said.

"Well, whatever you wind up doing, resources are gonna be tight," said Candace.

"That is exactly why I agreed to help you out first. By bringing Doofenshmirtz back out of power, the control of the Tri-State Area will go to better officials.

"Perry, I'm gonna need your help on this one," I said.

" _Me? Why?_ " asked Perry.

"You were an agent in this dimension. I see no reason why you won't be as helpful as in the other dimension," I said.

" _I guess… but we have to be careful. If Doofenshmirtz or any of the animal-borgs catch me, I might get turned back into another drone or scrapped._ "

"As long as I'm here, I won't let that happen." I smiled hopefully at him and I saw my Perry in his eyes. "We better get going. If my theory is correct, Doofenshmirtz is the least of our worries."

"And what exactly is your theory?" asked Baljeet.

"Someone far worse if pulling the strings," I replied.

It was some time later and Perry and I were in the air ducts of Doofenshmirtz's building. Since there were more dangers that came with us separating, we decided to stay together. However, this made the search take longer. We combed through the building for any sign of something amiss, but everything there was familiar to Perry.

"This is stupid. We're getting nowhere," I said quietly.

" _Come on. Let's head back downstairs. Maybe we'll see something more tomorrow,_ " Perry actually _chattered_. It was deep and throaty and upsetting in a way I had been missing for a while. I braced myself against the walls to silence the jump I made at hearing him speak. " _What?_ "

"I wasn't really sure you talked or, if you did, that it would sound quite like that."

" _I can sense that,_ " he replied with an eyebrow wiggle and an alluring smile.

I pushed him back as I stifled a laugh. "You are such a dork!" I said as quietly as I could through my humor.

" _A loveable one though, I hope?_ "

I rolled my eyes. "What do you know; he flirts with me no matter where or _when_ we are." I gave another smile before saying, "Come on, let's get going."

We found ourselves on the bottom floor close to where we had gotten into the building. It was a loading dock and there were a few vehicles and unmarked crates going about, along with animal-borgs. "Well, this side-trip has been anything but boring so far. Got anything else for me?" I asked.

" _Something new. I've never seen that truck before,_ " said Perry.

"Should we follow it?"

" _You wanted me to show you something out of the ordinary and an exterminator's truck in a place that encourages free animal labor is out of the ordinary._ "

"This may lead us to that 'something bigger' I mentioned earlier."

" _Care to share with me, darlin'?_ "

" _Darlin'?_ Did you just call me _darlin'?_ " I asked, trying to hold back laughter once more.

" _Well, you said so yourself that we're married in the other dimension. That's what I would call you._ "

"My Perry has never called me _darlin'._ He calls me 'Pen' mostly or 'my love' or, sometimes, 'sweet heart'."

" _I guess we're not as similar as you think then._ "

"Or maybe they fried your brains more than we originally thought."

" _That statement simply does not compute with me._ "

"I hope this dimension's me is not too messed up. I wouldn't want to leave you alone after all the hard work you put into flirting with me."

" _I would call it a different word, but all right._ " He winked at me and my face went into a hot blush. " _Come on. Get some of that blood to your legs. The truck's leaving._ "

"Fine, but this conversation is not over." We started crawling out of the vents, sneaking around corners, then finally finding a place under the truck. I still had _my_ Perry to get back to and I was only going to be loyal to him… but I had to admit that this Perry was highly intriguing. He was similar enough to Perry I almost didn't miss him, but the dissimilarities were becoming more apparent and, I knew, would only make me miss him more.

* * *

 **Hmm… that's interesting. So, should I follow Penelope in the next chapter or shall we see what Prime Dimension Perry's up to? Let me know what you guys think. I hope you will please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


	4. Chapter 3: The Mill

Chapter 3: The Mill

Penelope

We hung to the bottom of the truck until it came to a stop. When we didn't hear anyone else, we got out from hiding. Perry's robotic eye glowed and he said, "We gotta move fast. I'm making the cameras' recording loop until we're inside."

"What about the inside cameras?" I asked, but stopped when I looked at where we were. It was a windmill with smoke rising from its roof and four spokes moving slowly in a clockwise direction. The building was creaking loudly with age and from being ill-kept.

"There's not a lot of cameras here as it is," replied Perry. We darted inside and were instantly drowned in darkness. Perry grabbed my arm and said, "Follow me. I can see better in the dark."

It seemed very empty and there was no floor, just dirt. Perry guided me to a trap door in the floor. He hushed me and we slowly crept down. There were voices and the only light was very faint. I recognized both of the voices, but I was a little shocked at finding them to be Heinz and the Enigma.

"I anticipate my sister shall be here shortly," said Heinz. Perry stopped just short of us seeing them. "If she interferes with one of our plans, both of them shall fail."

"It was a dangerous risk, linking the Chronological Distortion across two dimensions," said the Enigma.

"Agreed, but if you do as you promised, we can both have power and the curse is stronger. Perry and Penelope are the only ones who can break it and, since they are in two different realms and you are cutting off any hope of them getting back together, we have a chance. Just capture her."

"I already have my puppets in place. Besides, from what you have told me, Perry would have to know to come here."

"Caution. They are both much closer than you think. If they both find the artifact, we are doomed."

"I think we've both gone too far for that. Worry not. They are already in my hands." Suddenly, both Perry and I were caught from behind and dragged away. "And I have no intentions of letting them go."

* * *

Perry

I shot awake. Something was wrong. My chest felt heavy and it was difficult to breathe. It was as if my heart was being taken from me. The woman from my dreams… she was in trouble. A name came to mind and I knew if I said it aloud, something malicious might occur. So, I decided to do the next best thing.

I got dressed as quickly as possible and darted outside. I began quickly walking down the street until I heard a hansom heading down the street. I waved a hand and it came to a stop by my side. I got aboard and told the cabby to drop me off outside of the city.

"I would not advise that, Mr. Dracula," the cabby said in an Indian accent.

"How do you know my-" I cut myself off when I turned and saw who it was. "Dr. Jekyll."

"Going even to the border is inviting a death wish. You know this."

"I need to get there, Dr. Jekyll. Please."

"Why?"

"I can't explain it. I have this feeling that someone's in trouble and that I need to go outside the city to help them."

The dark-haired boy gave a sigh. "Come on. I know a way out of the city without being spotted." He disembarked from the hansom and invited me to walk with him.

"Why help me?"

"I am helping you because I have a feeling that you can help me."

"What's wrong?"

The boy was quiet for a few moments. "I am afraid… I am in league with Mr. Hyde."

"You're what?!"

"It is not by choice, I promise you. I cannot help myself. He is too strong. I cannot get away from him, not truly, not ever. I have this feeling that you can stop it though, this feeling that you have done things like this before and succeeded."

"I think you have the wrong man. I'm not the one with all the successful cases."

"Do you not feel as if the hands of fate are bending against you?"

"I don't believe in fate."

"Yet you believe there is something that can free us."

"What are you talking about?"

"Is that not why you are seeking a way out of the city, to help us?

"Every time I've helped someone, it ends badly. I can't even keep Christine away from that monster she calls a boyfriend."

"Then why do you choose to help someone now? You must feel as if there is a gain in this."

"Yeah, there's a gain for _me_. After helping others and failing, maybe I should start helping myself."

"How so?"

"I can't explain it. It's a matter of my heart."

"Say no more." He stopped and I froze in place at seeing where we were. "We are here."

"The city's border… I've always been afraid of leaving the city. Now? Something is calling me."

"I wish you the best of luck, my friend."

"When I get back, I promise I will do what I can to help you. Who knows? I might succeed in this case."

"I certainly hope so, my friend. We are all counting on you."

I scaled the wall and jumped down onto the other side. It was a foggy, dark countryside. I began walking, not knowing really where I was going.

My mind was elsewhere when I finally noticed the fog had cleared and I was in front of a large windmill. The four spokes were spinning unnaturally in a counterclockwise direction. It spun as if there were weights on the spokes. They would pause, then spin very quickly. The most unusual part of this windmill was the fact that there was no wind. It must be being spun mechanically, somehow.

The door was nonexistent and the mill itself looked as though it had been abandoned for years. Something drew me to walk inside. It was empty, completely. I heard the building creaking from the weight of time and the spinning of the spokes. I kept walking in and I tripped over a handle. When I looked, there was a door in the floor.

"What is this?" I asked myself aloud. I opened it, against my better judgement, and headed downward. A foul stench came to my nostrils and I saw smoke. Despite these warnings, I continued onward. At the bottom of the stairs, I saw a large pot on the fire and a green, glowing smoke coming from it.

"You shouldn't be here," came a voice. I recognized, with a chill, that it was Frederick. The teal platypus with two different colored eyes and a foreign accent put a cloth in front of my bill. It was chloroform. I tried to break free, but could not. I was out.

* * *

 **Things are starting to pull together and apart all at once. I hope you are all enjoying the story so far and I hope you will keep reading and** ** _reviewing_** **, thanks :)**


	5. Chapter 4: To Each Their Own Prison

Chapter 4: To Each Their Own Prison

Perry

I awoke in a cell. Frederick was at a sink, putting medicine in his deformed eye. "That smarts. I don't understand how he could live like this," he muttered to himself. I wondered at what he could mean by that, but only briefly. Frederick was the most feared character in the entire city. To look at him, I could hardly understand why, but I was not about to stick around to find out. I had to find a way out of my imprisonment.

As I was thinking this, he turned to me, his eye still blinking the medicine in. "Oh, good, you're awake. I was starting to worry I might have gone a little overboard," he commented, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. I backed up a little at his approach. "No, Perry, it's all right. I'm not one of the bad guys; not this time, at least."

"You're Frederick though, are you not?" I asked.

"Hm? Oh, that's just the name I've been given to cover up the past that almost everybody forgot. He didn't want me to forget though. At least, I don't think so. Maybe I was unintentional? I don't know. I know Isabella- uh, 'Christine', rather, was on purpose. She was made to remember so that she would know that she couldn't help break the spell this time."

"Right…"

"But! Now that I have you in safekeeping here, we can start work on getting Penelope back into this dimension. I heard him talking about how Penelope accidentally wound up in another dimension and how he was going to contact his alternate to help keep her there."

"What do I or this Penelope matter in all of this?"

"You two are the only ones who can break the curse over Danville. He thought that he would be able to bring the whole world under his subjection, but I guess he underestimated something along the way? I don't know."

"Curse? This isn't some fairy tale, Frederick-"

"What about the dreams?"

My eyes widened at that. "How did you know…?"

"I was hoping you would ask that," he said with a smile. He went over to the opposite side of the cell where there was a large something with a large curtain draped over it. He pulled back the sheet to reveal a large machine. "Behold! The Dream-inator!

"This device is something I have used to collect the magic in the air, alter it, and project anti-magic to others in the form of dreams. Unfortunately, it's only really had an impact on you. You've been having dreams of our past, the things which actually happened and not the things that we thought were to have happened." He seemed thoughtful for a moment, as if unsure of his word choice.

"Have you been… observing me?"

"Perry, it's very important that I get you to remember so that you can get Penelope back here, break the curse, and return me to my normal body. It's not that I _hate_ being a platypus, mind you, it's just that… I can't be with Cheryl this way. I was going to propose to her. Then, this happened and…" He sniffed, looking downcast and near tears.

He continued, "Please, Perry. It's really important to me. Everyone's had enough mind wipes to last a lifetime. I gave up on evil because I wanted to live a normal life free of _him._ "

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"I know you're looking at me like I'm the crazy one, but I'm not, this time. Perry, _you_ are the only one in this dimension that can help us. _You_ can save us all."

" _Save_ you?! I can't even keep Christine away from Ichabod. I am no brave fighter, no matter how hard I try to be."

"Okay, since I know that's untrue, I'm just gonna ignore that. Let's get back to the problem at hand. Why were you at the mill?"

"I don't know, I… I felt like I had to be there. I felt like she was in trouble." I hesitated. "Look, whoever this _he_ is that has _you_ scared, I had best try to avoid him. In the meanwhile, I have to go back there. I felt like I was close to something." I got up to walk to the cell door, but Frederick stopped me.

"Perry, the mill, whatever significance it has, I believe you're right. It must be related to the curse, because that place is guarded."

"I saw no guards there." I moved forward again and he again stood in my way.

"There are worse places than this hiding hole of mine to be in. If _he_ catches you-"

"I will move forward whether you wish it or not. The woman I love is in danger and, though I have only seen her in my dreams, I feel a desperation tugging at my soul to help her, to free her."

"I just… we've all gone so far, especially the two of us. We went from arch-nemesis, to frenemy, to friend, to family, to partners in the same pursuit of good and justice. I've known you a long time, Perry the Platypus and I just don't want to see you get hurt or killed."

Something about how he addressed me then struck a chord with me. It was familiar to me, even though I knew my name was Vlad Dracula, it began to sound false, even to my own mind. Perhaps he knew what he was talking about. I ventured to ask him a question that had been bothering me since the beginning of our exchange. "What is the name of the man you call _he_? Who has entrapped us?"

"In this world, he calls himself the Beast; but, in our world, he was always known as the Enigma."

A shiver went up my spine at the name. It was all so familiar to me. It was all so close to my grasp. My head ached as I tried to remember what I had forgotten. Before I could get much farther in my thought process, we heard boots clopping down the hall. Frederick seemed to go pale as he quickly went to the back of the cell and pulled back a stone to reveal a passageway.

"Find the one you call Christine. She will help you," he beckoned me to go into the hole.

"Aren't you coming?" I asked.

"I can't. I'm not a _complete_ fool, after all. I need to be at his beck and call until this is all over, otherwise, this will get harder for everyone. Now, go!"

I went into the tunnel and crawled as fast as I could out of there. I heard the stone seal behind me. I breathed a small sigh of relief. As the tunnel got muddier and I exited into the rainy evening, I whispered, "I'm coming. Don't worry. I'm coming." I then rushed down the street toward Christine's home.

* * *

Penelope

I jolted awake. I had been lying against this dimension's Perry. The metal body was oddly warm, even in the places I hadn't touched. He looked at me tenderly and I smiled softly. "Don't get too used to me, Perry. _My_ Perry is coming to get me soon," I said.

He grabbed me and pulled me into his lap. He breathed in my fur and I shivered at the sensation. "If only I were he. I've grown quite fond of you, even in this short interval," he said.

"I'm sure I must exist in this dimension somewhere."

"Yes, and if she's anything like you, I'm sure she's perfectly fine."

"I don't know, Perry. I was pretty lost in my years without you. It was painful to know you were out there, yet so far from my reach."

"Well, until we find the correct counterparts, we have each other."

"As grateful as I am that you got us out of there, I wear my ring for only one platypus," I said, scooching off of his lap.

He kept his hands around my waist and said lowly, "We might not be in safe refuge for much longer. We must get back to the mill as soon as possible. There is something there."

"I agree." He let me go and I looked out of the sewer grate to find the robots had gone. "Let's go."

"Right behind you." His voice sounded sad. I hoped, for his sake, that we could find this dimension's me. I hoped for myself and my Perry that we would be together soon with the curse broken and everyone home, safe and happy.

* * *

 **Well, that's all for now. I hope you are all enjoying the story so far :) Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :D**


	6. Chapter 5: It Falls

Chapter 5: It Falls

Perry

I ran off into the night, the rain pelting me unrelentingly. I reached Christine's doorstep and knocked. _I hope she's here and safe,_ I thought. She answered the door and ushered me inside quickly.

"What are you doing out in the rain?" she asked worriedly.

"I was told to come see you," I said.

"Who sent you?"

"Frederick."

"So, you know about him?"

"I'm not sure what there is to know. He is not at all what I thought he was. He kept saying something about a scarier person, an Enigma."

She hushed me and looked around warily, as if afraid someone might hear. "Frederick is Dr. Doofenshmirtz in the Enigma's body. They switched so that he could better harness the magic required for the spell. I might have been able to break it with Phineas like we did before, but… his heart has been corrupted. He's not the same."

"I am sorry to hear that." I gave a reverent bow. It seemed this Phineas was someone whom she cared for very deeply. "I came here looking for answers."

"Right." She slammed a fist in her hand, which I took to be a sign of resolve. She ushered me to follow her into another room. "I've done the best I could to make a device that will open a portal to the next dimension, the only problem is that I need the windmill to generate enough power to make it work. I think that's why you kept getting sent there. It is a hive of great power."

"Right… and what exactly does this accomplish?"

"You'll be able to get back to Penelope. The Enigma likes holding it over me that I can't stop him and told me how he manipulated her machine to take her to the wrong place. So, I made this… I'm not exactly Phineas, but I've paid enough attention to what he does to say this might work."

"I appreciate the confidence." I sighed.

"Perry, you're the only one that can do this."

"And what if I can't? What if I fail?"

"I don't think anyone would wanna think about that, especially me." She had a hand over a locket and my head hurt upon looking at it. My mind wanted to remember something, but something prevented me. "Please, Perry."

Brandishing my courage, I stood tall and asked, "What do I need to do?"

* * *

Penelope

"Maybe stopping the windmill is the key," I said. We were climbing the rafters of the mill, or, at least, I was climbing and Perry was flying.

"There must be some reason why it keeps going. However, saying that its movement is what's keeping the curse up is a large gamble. I agree that the windmill is the key, but stopping it doesn't feel like the correct solution," he said.

"Well, what do you suggest?" He scooped me into his arms and carried me the rest of the way up until we were in the inner mechanisms, behind the spokes.

"I know if I had to get back to someone like you, brainwashed or not, I'd find a way. Believe in him."

"I hope you're right. I can't shake the feeling something very bad is going to happen."

* * *

Perry

It was a difficult task to get the device out of town. It occupied a small wagon and was hard to explain or hide. Somehow, we made it back to the windmill. Its spokes still turned loudly. We went inside and Christine began grounding the device to the floor.

"Now, all we need to do is attach it to the mechanism," she said.

"Why do I get the feeling that-" I began.

"It's up there," we said in unison.

I sighed. "Heights make me nauseous."

She slapped my cheek and I started. "This is no time to pull back and be afraid. This is the time to get these cords up there."

"Right." I took the cords in my mouth and began the climb. It took some time and a lot of reminding myself not to look down. Finally, however, I made it to the top where the mechanisms of the windmill lay in wait.

"Good job, Perry," came a happy voice.

I jumped and nearly dropped the cords. I spit them out and handed them to her. "If you could have just climbed up here, why did I have to do it?"

"I thought you could use a little boost of bravery." She smiled, but that still didn't explain to me how she got up here.

I shrugged it off. "All right then." We hooked up the cords to the mechanism. From its spot on the ground floor, the machine whirred with energy. Christine climbed down and I followed her. She turned a crank on the machine and it started whirring faster and louder.

Light started to appear on the top of the machine. It expanded and started opening a doorway into a different place. The rain was never more apparent to me than in that moment as thunder rolled and I saw the light from the lightning.

"It's working!" said Christine, excited.

"Is this safe?" I asked.

"It's fine! So long as the connection is stable, we should be-" The doorway suddenly vanished, the machine whirred to a stop, and I noticed the windmill had stopped turning.

"What happened?"

"Cheese and crackers! This had to have happened on the other side. The connection was severed, which means you're not going to get to Penelope this way." She kicked the machine, frustrated. "Dang it."

"What can we do?"

"Come up with a new plan, I guess. I honestly was putting a lot on _this_ plan working though." She slumped to the ground and sat with her back against the machine. I sat cross-legged in front of her.

"It'll be all right. I'm sure of it." I smiled wanly, trying to lift her spirits.

"Wait a second! Magic's the answer! We have to find someone who knows about magic. Someone we can trust… and I know just the one to go to…"

* * *

 **That's all for now. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


	7. Chapter 6: Stuck

Chapter 6: Stuck

Perry

We were about to head back when we heard some clicking behind us. Guns were pointed directly at us. We both put our hands up.

"I can't have the two of you foiling my plans so early in the game. I intend to draw this out until all that remains is the breaking point," came a voice. We turned in its direction and there stood the man known simply as the Beast. Reputation had certainly inflated him to the point I nearly laughed at his appearance. He was not muscular and I wouldn't have placed him far above six feet tall, even with the slouch.

"Enigma, this has gone on long enough. Can't you just leave us alone?" asked Christine.

"It wouldn't really be much of a series if I stopped so soon now would it?"

I quirked an eyebrow in confusion. He continued, "Regardless, as much as I appreciate watching the hero flail helplessly toward their goal, it gets to be very… _grating._ I must confess that I am at a loss as to what to do with the two of you."

"Look here, Beast, leave Christine out of this. This business is between you and I," I said bravely.

He yawned, disinterested. "How about no? Perry, it is only fitting and fun that I take into account all factors involved. You're both coming with us." We were then seized by his men and thrown into a prison wagon. The Beast followed us in and cuffed us. A few men also followed to sit at the far end to keep an eye on us.

The wagon moved forward and the Beast spoke again, "I find it amusing; the people who remember are, quite possibly, the least useful of your group. If the bumbling scientist knew anything of the magic he possessed, he might be useful, but he does not. If the little Fireside girl here had _any_ sort of influence in helping the others remember, she might be useful." He glared at Christine and she grit her teeth in frustration. "Sadly, what magic she received was a mere side effect and will lift with the curse, if broken. Then, there's you, Perry." He turned to me and laughed low. "You are in the in-between, a terrible place for anyone to be. I was sure your mind would have broken you by now. I know it is still only a matter of time."

We arrived at a destination. Some men came into the wagon and took Christine out. "Don't lose hope, Perry. We beat him before, we'll do it again!" she called out to me.

"Doubtful," replied the Beast. Once she was off and the door was closed, the wagon moved again. "Hope is the most useless tool of the mortal existence, a false fog which blinds us from the simplest truths: death comes to all and, sometimes, evil wins.

"The only thing blocking this is what the Author thinks should happen. I sense something impending… until then, they don't control everything." He smiled sinisterly. I shook slightly, knowing that I was in company with someone who had gone truly mad.

The ride was longer than I had expected and I was certain we had reached another border of town. We traveled further on until we reached a place where there was no noise to be heard. I was grabbed by the back of my neck and dropped into a dark hole.

"Maybe there is a chance for you. Maybe not. However, I don't intend to simply allow you to wander free. You needn't worry about the girl. She's safe. This place, however, is the site of your downfall," said the Beast. He pulled a pistol from his pocket and threw it down to me. "This, I think, will be my favorite part. I'll enjoy watching this play out." He let out a sinister laugh as he tossed me one bullet and left.

I held the two objects in my hand and my eyes gaped at the implication of what he wanted me to do. _No. I refuse!_ I groped the walls, looking for any place for a possible foothold or handhold. Any ledges there were therein were either too slippery or so small only an athlete would be able to climb them out.

This was clearly a well that had been dried out for just such an occasion. By touching one wall with one hand, I measured that the well was twice as wide as what I could reach. So, there was no climbing out that way. I ran my fingers across my scalp, frustrated. Is this what is to become of me? Am I to starve in this hole with the dismal, cloudy sky my only friend? But… there was another alternative. The gun and round that lay on the floor where I had set them. I shook my head. _No. I refuse._ And yet, what was I to do?

I sat down against the wall, staring at the gun in quiet contemplation. It wasn't long before I grew weary and fell asleep. I slept and I dreamed.

 _She was there. I couldn't get to her, no matter the steps I took or how fast I took them. She was dancing. She looked… so happy… free… and… she was with someone else. He looked like me, but stronger. What is this feeling? What is the cause?_

* * *

Doofenshmirtz—In the Enigma's Body

"Stop! You don't know what you're doing!" I cried out. I was being held back as I helplessly watched the Enigma, in my body, using the Dream-inator on Perry. He was warping it, somehow, messing with Perry's mind.

"On the contrary, Doctor, I know _exactly_ what I'm doing. He might make it… but then again, he might not," he gave a low laugh, more sinister than any I had ever uttered in that body.

"You monster! You won't get away with this!"

"We shall see… we shall see…"

* * *

Perry

I awoke, but it was like I hadn't really awoken. I heard a ringing sound and it made it feel like the world was spinning. The chaos in my mind was unbearable. I gripped the sides of my head screaming for any kind of release from this.

On my knees and with blurred eyes, I caught sight of the gun once again. _This has to stop!_ I loaded the round into the gun. Words ran through my mind, thoughts that didn't feel like my own.

* * *

Enigma—In Doofenshmirtz's Body

I had to give the doctor credit for fashioning such an ingenious machine from such limited resources. Perhaps he knew something of his magic after all. I couldn't let him know that though.

An option to mess with Perry's dreams was one thing, but since the connection was still live while he was now awake… well… I had to take advantage of it somehow. I saw his thoughts, jumbled and incomplete. I had no idea what the machine might be doing to him, but it did not look pleasant. Then, serendipity: a prompt to manipulate his thoughts. _It can't be this easy, can it? Well, I guess we'll see…_

I began typing: _I've never felt more alone than I do now. She comes in my dreams, then she fades away. It's so real, it's like a memory, but is it really a memory I'd like to have? No. Every time I see her, it's too much of a heartache, too much of a pain. When life hands you lemons, they tell you to make lemonade out of it. So, when life hands you a gun, what else are you supposed to do?_

* * *

Perry

My hands shook violently. Conflicting messages entered my mind. I thought things I didn't want to think. I was about to do something I didn't want to do. The bullet was in the chamber, all I had to do was aim and fire.

I heard a sound, but the ringing was still happening in my brain, so I didn't know what it was. I couldn't bring myself to look up. I felt myself slipping. Then, a rope was around me and I was yanked backward. The shock of it all knocked me out. Before I slipped under, I was distinctly aware of two things: I still had a tight grip on the butt of the gun and wherever I had been pulled to, I was no longer in the well.

* * *

 **Curiouser and curiouser, eh? Deep breaths. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks ;)**


	8. Chapter 7: Doing the Magic

Chapter 7: Doing the Magic

Penelope

"Well… I miscalculated," I said. "Although this is also ideal, I had a different target in mind." We had succeeded in opening up a portal back to the Prime Dimension. I wanted to bring my children, Max, Jacob, and Daisy, here. I didn't know what the Enigma had done to them and I wanted to be sure they were safe. However, I brought Perry back instead.

It might have wound up being a happy circumstance. His mind had been greatly clouded by dark magic. I was certain the Enigma might have succeeded if I had not intervened. Now away from influence, I could counteract the dark magic with light magic.

"There is no end to his depravity. He must be stopped," I said while dabbing a wet cloth across Perry's forehead.

"If he did that in _your_ dimension, he must have worse plans for this one," said Candace.

"I wouldn't be surprised if this dimension's Enigma _did_ have those types of plans. I have no doubt he and the Prime Dimension's Enigma are working together. The conversation Perry and I overheard was proof enough of that." Why he didn't destroy us then and there was beyond me… except… that never was his plan. "He won't stop until I'm his, I and the world."

" _He doesn't want for much,_ " said this dimension's Perry. " _This really is too much. How are we to fight him?_ "

"Fighting? Ha. I don't think that's an option anymore. He won't stop until he stops," I said. It hurt me, the idea of having to kill my own brother to attain peace… but if that's what it took, then I would do it. For this dimension and the next.

" _There… there must be another way. Let's… let's just think about this._ "

"I'm done thinking about it. It's what's happening."

" _If… if that's what you think is best… I won't stop you. But I can't help you either. I don't know what all he put you through, but I'm sure your Perry would say the same thing._ "

Baljeet came up to me with a potion I had asked him to make. It would help Perry break free of the curse and remember himself. "Thanks, Baljeet," I said.

Before I could do anything though, Perry awoke. He backed away quickly. "Wh-What's going on?! Where am I?!" he was freaking out.

"Perry, it's okay. You're safe now. You're with me," I said.

"Stay back! I-I'm not where I'm supposed to be. Take me back!"

"Perry, please… it's all right. Really. Drink this and you'll remember everything."

Perry was shaking. I had never seen him so afraid. "Stay away. Please. Just stay away!" He started to run off and, wanting to stop him, I did something I had never done before. With a wave of my hand, the floor jutted upward, directly in the path Perry was running.

I fell to one knee from the effort. I felt blood coming from my nose. I hadn't expected that. Everyone else seemed equally surprised. "Witch! You're trying to kill me!" said Perry.

"I'm not! Perry, please!"

"Penelope! Perry!" a voice echoed from somewhere.

"The mirror spell…" I murmured. I hadn't activated it, but someone clearly had. I hadn't seen this since Perry did it in Montenegro. Of course, then the mirror was already enchanted. This time, the enchantment had been placed on the mirror.

"Doofenshmirtz! How'd you do that?!" I questioned. It was clearly a more advanced spell since we could hear each other. This felt different.

"There's all these books here. I picked one up on magic and read it. I guess it paid off," he said with a shrug.

"Wow."

"Listen, I don't have a lot of time. You need to get Perry back over here. _You_ need to get back over here. You need to break the curse so that we can get out of this mess!"

"I can't leave yet. The Enigma of _this_ dimension is working with the Enigma of that dimension. They're both wrecking havoc. Most of Danville over here is in slavery to this dimension's you as a front for being slaves to him."

"Wow, that's confusing as all heck. Wait, you're in another _dimension?!_ No wonder I was having trouble with this spell."

"Well, you can't expect it to go right the first time you try it."

"That's the thing. I've been doing some reading. The Enigma probably doesn't want me to know this, but I'm seriously magical. Apparently, it was passed down to me from my great-grandmother, Gretel. Who knew she was magical? Maybe those were the issues Grandpa Jose told me about. Anyway, the point is, I have the magic ability to 'adapt new skills at first encounter.' It apparently applies mostly to magic, but still, pretty cool, right?" He had the book in front of him, so I didn't doubt his claim. Still though…

" _You're_ Deus Ex Machina magic? _You_?" I asked skeptically.

"How else do you explain the mirror call, hm? And apparently, this is only a fraction of what I can do. If I was back in my body, I'd be doing so much more."

"I'm sorry, it's just Deus Ex's are myths and, moreover, they know things others shouldn't know. They have that uncanny ability to tap into the beyond. Since when did you do that?"

"I don't know, but apparently the Enigma wanted to keep this from me, so it's something big. Why else would he want my body? You said yourself I had magic in me. Well, this is it."

"Yeah, but _Deus Ex_?"

"What exactly is going on here?" asked Perry. I jumped since I didn't notice he was right behind me. "I knew this was all magic."

"And here I thought you were afraid of me," I said.

"I was until I remembered you were the one in my dreams," said Perry.

"Dreams plural?" I looked to Heinz since I knew I had only made myself appear in one dream.

"I created a Dream-inator and have been trying to awaken his memories of the past. He and you are the key to this. There are forces beyond us that want you two together. The bond you two have? It's beyond important, it's lifeblood," said Heinz.

"Lifeblood…" I said, remembering the promise Perry and I had made so long ago in Lithuania. "I had no idea…"

"You two could break any curse, just because of that bond. I guess the last one had a special clause written in it, but… I doubt it would have taken much."

"Well, you're the research guy. What do we need to do?"

"True love's kiss breaks any curse. But, you'd need to both be here in order for it to work."

"Right…" I was still hesitant. This dimension needed me too. A force like the Enigma was too much to go after alone.

"We have a perimeter breach!" said Candace. "To your positions!" Alarms were blaring red and everyone took positions beside the entrances.

"What's going on?" asked Heinz.

"Look, we're gonna have to do this later. I have to fix this first. Please, just do what you can until we can get back, because getting back is kinda hard to do," I said.

"Right. I'll keep looking. I'll get back to you if anything happens."

"Thanks." He nodded and the mirror faded back to normal.

Just as it did, Norm-bots burst through the walls and ceiling. It was bright with all the lights shining in. Then, a figure came in. "Well, hello there. Happy I made an appearance?" It was the Enigma, no doubt. He was dressed in a formal suit with his coat slung over his shoulder. He looked on at us with one red real eye (his right) and one red bionic eye (his left).

"Who took your eye in this dimension?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Why, _you_ did."

* * *

 **Enter the Enigma, once more. Please keep reading and please leave a review. I'm starting to think you guys don't like this series anymore, what with no reviews so far :( Tell me what you think so far and what you'd like to see in the future. Thanks :)**

 **Also, please check out the new poll on my profile page. Choose carefully, you can only pick one ;)**


	9. Chapter 8: Sheila Once Again

Chapter 8: Sheila Once Again

Penelope

"Sheila, dear, it's good to see you again," said this dimension's Enigma, cupping my chin.

"I'm not who you think I am," I said.

"I know about the whole thing, Sheila. The whole 'dimensions crossed' situation. I've been in contact with the other side. We know what's going on. Still, I can't resist ogling over your beauty, even if you don't belong here. Perhaps the reason why I've never been able to capture your affections before was because I was going after the wrong one. Hm?"

"Hardly."

"It matters not. You're captured and there's nothing you nor anyone else can do about it."

A portal opened suddenly and someone new entered. He looked… very familiar. "Hello, Mum," he said to me in a slight Australian accent.

"Wait, what?" I asked. This couldn't possibly be Max… could it?

"What happened to you?" asked the Enigma.

"Pretty easy, really. I aged my body to match my mind. This is also sadly an irreversible process. I cannot go back to the age I once was," Max shrugged. "It is for the better though since I have once again attained an intellectual advantage, eh, Uncle?" He pulled out a strange gun and fired it at the Enigma and his minions. They all fell, stunned. "We should get going. That will not keep them knocked out for long."

Max waved us to follow him and we all went out of the lair and far outside the city into the outskirts. When we got there, Max said, "Seems like we will be safe here."

"What's even going on anymore?" I asked.

"I let the Enigma of our dimension have his way. Once he was done with my portion of the spell that he needed, he no longer had use of it. I took back what I could. He did not seem bothered by it either. He just let me alone. I aged myself, but unfortunately, my body could not keep up. I have had to put myself in cryo for a few years. I woke up and the curse was lifted, everything fine. I figured I would come back and help in any way I could," Max shrugged.

"You time-travelled?" I asked, incredulous.

"Pretty easy with your blueprints. A little tweaking was needed, but here I am."

"What about Jacob and Daisy?"

"Oh, little brother and sister? They are fine… relatively speaking."

"What do you mean _relatively speaking_?" I put my hands on my hips.

"Well, in my time, they are having their own adventure. In this time, however… well, before I froze, I ensured they had a good home, I did."

"So, where did you leave them?"

"Great-grandfather Flynn's. They are fine. They have a lake and everything. Not all of our dimension is under the curse, it would seem, just a bubble around the Tri-State Area."

"He must not have everything he needs for a global curse."

"Of course not. That would require something more."

"Like me…"

"Exactly that. We need to break the curse, but from a safe distance."

"What do you suggest?"

"Me? I was hoping you had something."

"If you were thinking that, why did you travel back in time in the first place?"

"It was not for naught, I can assure you of that. An extra hand can always be helpful. Besides, we have made an important discovery, my siblings and I in the future."

"And that is what, exactly?"

"HErtE si NA HoaRuT" He clamped both of his hands over his mouth, eyes wide in shock. "Huh. Must be a spoiler," he said, face pale.

It suddenly became clear to me that there was something bigger going on in the universe than mere spirits. There must be some bigger force at play. Something that prevented itself from being made known in this timeline.

"That was spooky," said Max.

"Yeah," everyone seemed to agree.

"Well, what's our plan of action now?" asked this dimension's Perry.

I turned to my Perry. "I think it's about time we test the fullness of the Deus Ex magic," I said.

"I think I know where your mind is going. Shall I create a portal to the Prime Dimension?" asked Max.

"If you would, Son, that would be much appreciated," I said.

Max bowed. He reached to his watch and typed in a few things to open a portal. "The Prime Dimension is an ideal place to go for help right now, but it is also the most dangerous since it is the epicenter of everything going wrong right now," said Max.

"We'll be all right. You said so yourself that there's a future with no curse. Unless something changes, you'll still have a future to go back to," I said.

Max snapped his fingers in realization. "I knew there was a reason why I was here! One of the rules of time travel state that if a future is no more, then all things related to that future disappear. I am from the good future, so if we start veering from the path we are supposed to be on, I will start disappearing."

"What do you know? The kid made himself useful after all. Come on, then," said this dimension's Perry slinging him over his shoulder.

"And who invited you? Perry and I can take care of this just fine on our own," I said.

"Let's just admit something here: you need as many allies as you can get right now. Besides, if we fix your dimension, ours will be all the easier afterwards. Of course, you could always stay here and fix this dimension first, like you had planned," this dimension's Perry shrugged.

I squinted my eyes. "You're more devious than my Perry."

"I think you just haven't seen that side of me yet." He winked. "Come on, then." He walked through the portal with Max in tow. I sighed.

"I suppose this means you're all coming?" I asked.

"Your dimension helped ours a few years ago. It's only fair we pay you back," said Candace.

"Very well then." I sighed. The second dimension's Phineas, Ferb, Buford, Baljeet, Candace, and Isabella and her Fireside girls followed their Perry through the portal. I reached a hand toward my Perry. "Shall we?"

"And what exactly do you plan to do once you take me back there?" he asked, wary.

"Get your memories back and keep them back. I think we're all a little tired of the back and forth rollercoaster," I said.

"I do not understand entirely what that means, but I want to help you. I trust you." He put his hand in mine and our fingers intertwined.

"I'm glad. It'll be good to be _back_ back." We walked through the portal. This had to be the start of the road to the good future where Max came from and, if we had any say in it, would return to unscathed.

* * *

 **That's all for now. Reviews are appreciated, so please leave some :) Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :D**


	10. Chapter 9: Cure

Chapter 9: Cure

Penelope

We entered through the portal and found ourselves in a dreary, gray version of Danville. There was also a great deal of old architecture and people. "Ah, home at last," sighed my Perry.

"Whoa! This is like those old books Ferb and I found," said Phineas.

"Well, let's get going then. No use standing about," said their Perry.

"Can you set me down first, please?" asked Max.

"Right. Sorry about that, mate," said their Perry.

"No problem. This way." Max guided us down side alleys and into a large sewer system.

We soon found ourselves in a place that my Perry seemed to recognize. "This is the place where I spoke with Frederick," he mentioned. He seemed to shiver at the memory. _It's bad enough the Enigma wiped his memory, but he wiped his sense of bravery too._ I sighed. I still loved him greatly and it was for this reason that I hoped this would all end soon.

We made one final turn into a sort of dungeon. I recognized the Enigma's body immediately. "Doofenshmirtz?" I asked.

He turned and I knew it was him. While he had the Enigma's body, the look in his eye was different. Perhaps it was my own intuition or magic that knew the difference between a good soul and a rotten one.

"You made it!" said Heinz. "Wait, who's this guy?" he pointed at Max.

"My son, Max, all grown up," I explained.

"You're sure?"

"Yes, of course I am Max. Who else would I be?" asked Max. I couldn't deny he looked a lot like Max, but maybe Heinz had a reason to be suspicious. At the very least, if, on the extreme off-chance that this wasn't Max, he didn't seem to hold ill intent. It had been some time since I had gotten a good look at any of my children. I remember saying goodbye to them before going on my bike, but…

"Well, it's good that you're all here. I've been working on a spell that will help Perry regain his memory and keep it protected if that should happen again," said Heinz.

"What do you need?" I asked.

"A little help. I haven't done a lot of magical stuff, so having someone nearby who knows more about it would make me feel better," he explained, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"I am at your service," I curtsied.

"Thanks." He stood at a table with multiple ingredients I recognized. A bottle held boiling liquid in it and was glowing a bright purple. "So, check my math here: by harnessing the magic in the area, we acquire the magic we want to counteract. By having the magic, we can better create the anti-magic."

"Correct."

"I got none of that," said Buford.

"You can't get rid of the bad thing without knowing what the bad thing looks like," Phineas explained.

"Oh, gotcha," said Buford.

Doofenshmirtz was turning the pages in his acquired spell book when he discovered an interesting page. _How to Switch Bodies._ "Hey, look at this! I could switch back with the Enigma with this spell," he said.

"It would appear so, but it would also appear you'd have to have him present for the spell to work," I said.

"That can happen later then," said Doofenshmirtz, his eyes glittering with excitement at his discovery. Magic suited him. Imagine that. Years of mad science and he could have been using magic this whole time.

"It looks like we're nearly ready, then," I said.

"Yep! All we need is a bit of DNA from the one whom we are trying to cast the spell on; a lock of fur or some blood would do best."

I grabbed a knife from the table and approached Perry. "Hey, easy now," said my Perry carefully.

"Just hold still, Perry. It won't even hurt if you hold still," I said. He met a wall and I quickly grabbed a lock of fur from his arm and cut it with the knife. "There. Now was that so bad?"

"N-no. Not at all," replied my Perry with a nervous smile.

"Right," I said. "Doctor, your DNA," I said as I gave Doofenshmirtz the lock of fur.

Heinz stirred in the fur with the boiling purple liquid, turning the mixture the same teal shade as Perry's fur. He took it off the heat and poured it into a mug with ice in it. The ice melted quickly with a hiss and some of the formula dissolved into the air. He swished the liquid in the mug a little before handing it to Perry. "With this, your memory will come back and your mind will be protected from any future attempts at taking your memory from you," he said.

"Thank you, Doctor. I don't know why we didn't think of this sooner," I said.

"You want me to drink this?" asked my Perry skeptically while inspecting the liquid.

"Think of it as drinking medicine. Close your eyes, hold your breath, and gulp it down," I said, trying to encourage him. Almost none of the magic formulas I knew how to mix tasted good.

"Right." I knew, logically, that trusting practical strangers had to be a big step for Perry. To extend his trust this far was asking a lot, but there was something in his eye as he looked at me. I knew he was doing this because he trusted _me_ more than anyone else. There was some part of his brain that still remembered me, our love. Perry gulped it down quickly, as I had suggested, and immediately dropped the mug and clutched his head in pain thereafter. I grabbed him to support him, as did the second dimension's Perry.

We heard footsteps coming down the stairs and knew trouble was near. "Go, quickly!" I said to the others. To Doofenshmirtz, I said, "Thank you so much, Doctor. I hope to see you soon." I shook his hand quickly.

"Yes, of course." After that, I faintly heard, "And hopefully, next time, I will no longer be in this platypus body, but back in my own."

* * *

 **That's all for now! Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


	11. Chapter 10: Back on Our Feet

Chapter 10: Back on Our Feet

Perry

I woke up to a cool sensation on my head. Gentle humming filled my ears and I looked through my steadily clearing vision to see my Penelope. It was such a relief to have a free mind again, to remember her freely once again. My throbbing head was a small price to pay for what it would give and what it already gave me.

"That's a view I never thought I'd see again," I said, my voice a croak.

Penelope jumped a little and her eyes glistened with barely suppressed tears. "I'm glad you're okay, Perry. I've missed you," she said, leaning down and hugging me.

I hugged her back. "It's not like we've been apart long."

"Any time away from you is too long."

"Well, I guess I better stick around then, huh?"

She swatted me and said, "You're dang right." She pulled away and wiped at her eyes.

"So… what now?"

"This has got to stop, Perry. I'm so tired of finally finding you only to lose you again."

I grabbed her hand and her fingers intertwined with mine. It was the first time I realized we were both wearing our rings. How could my mind-fogged self not realize the weight of the band on my finger? I laughed bitterly. "Can't say I feel any better about it."

"Perry?"

"Hm?"

"When we get back… no more secrets. I want us to be a family again. Remember Africa? We were all together then and it was okay."

"Yeah… Africa…" I couldn't think about our trip there without thinking of our lost daughter, Rosalynn.

"Yeah…" I knew it weighed on her too.

We were both quiet for a little before there was a knock on the door and we both jumped. "Come in," said Penelope.

On the other side of the door came in a familiar face. He looked like… a grownup version of our Maxwell. "Max?" I inquired.

"Hi, Dad," he said meekly. He came closer and looked at Penelope. "I have to go. If I do not get back soon, bad things could happen, like, time paradox and all that."

"I understand. Thank you for helping us get this far," said Penelope.

"Mom?"

"Hm?"

"It will be all right." His young self came out for a moment then before his face returned to normal. "The basis of a Chronological Distortion is sustained by an unusual happening. Returning everything to normal and resetting the magic will bring us back to your time and space, which will become my time and space."

"All we have to do is return Doofenshmirtz and the Enigma to their bodies."

"Right… and, of course, if anything were to happen to either of them in the process, you would not be able to return to your normal time and space. It is important that everyone that came into this process returns from it unharmed."

"Come on, Max. I'm not one to do rash things." Her eye twitched, possibly from stress. She rubbed it with her free hand and said, "Now, go on and go home. I'm sure we all miss you back there."

"Yeah… okay…" He closed the door to the room, zapped it with his watch, and opened it, revealing a portal. He stopped before going through. "Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Be careful. This time is not all it is cracked up to be." Whether he was referring to his time or ours, we weren't sure. He left, closing the door behind him.

The door reopened a second later to reveal the me from the other dimension. He put up a hand as if assuring us he meant no harm. "I just wanted to see how you two were getting on. Dinner's ready downstairs whenever you're ready," he said.

"You should stay here until you've recovered more," Penelope said to me. To the other me, she said, "Could you bring our dinner up? I'd… I just would really rather not leave him right now."

A sadness crossed his eyes as he replied, "Yes, of course. I… I hope you get well soon, mate. Take care of each other."

* * *

Penelope

It was after dinner and dark outside. Perry was asleep and I lay beside him. All the while, my thoughts raced.

 _Why does everyone have to come onto ME?_ I thought. I didn't mind the attention at some intervals, but… I already found love. I didn't need anyone else. It just made me all the more resolute to help the other dimension's Perry find the other me. I was sure it would be true love as it was with my Perry and me. In the meanwhile, though, I knew how he felt. It was how my brother felt.

Phillip was never good enough. He received little attention or love from our village. It was hard enough for me to get by on some days, but thinking back on how he must have felt… no wonder he developed this complex. Perhaps there was some PTSD from the incident as well. I could not ignore the fact that our father never really had time for us and our mother was sick often. Perry's mother became more like my mother. I feel like his father tried for us as well, but…

Phillip had been born small. He was shunned by the other kids. His lessons on love were few and far between. I tried my best to help him, but… there were things I had to go through too. I sometimes wondered if the attention that I gave him had been a mistake, just based upon where we were today.

"You're my _brother_ , how far must you go?" I wondered aloud. Perhaps… perhaps I could try reasoning with him, if not one more time. I sat up and rubbed my hands across my face, exhausted with the whole mess. "Maybe it's not such a bad thing to want him gone. I mean, all our problems would be over… but then where would that leave me…?"

Sometimes those smells and sounds would ring through my head as if they were happening or had only recently happened. Too much time has passed for my mind to still drift to this. "I… I just need to think. I can't think." My mind was echoing with the sounds of my pain, which was only amplified by the night's silence.

 _It would be so much easier if I could just kill him._

I looked in the mirror, suddenly aware. The noise faded into a faint ringing. I had thought I had overcome my dark side. What I didn't realize is that it had always been me, the whole time. Perhaps it was only now that I was embracing it. These thoughts both terrified and sobered me. _What do I do?_

Whilst in the grip of this self-crisis, I caught a glimpse of something in the mirror: a person long gone who was now coming back.

* * *

 **Not a bad chapter, if I do say so myself. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


	12. Chapter 11: Ghosts

Chapter 11: Ghosts

Penelope

I was speechless. _She… she can't possibly be here. It's all in my head, right?_ My eyes glanced away, then back again. The image was the same. I put a hand to my forehead. _Not again. Not another breakdown. Not again._

I heard a sound come from the figure. A call? A whisper? It had a faint ringing to it, whatever it was. I turned around and looked at the figure head on. It felt like a dream. Perhaps it was. Besides, this was a ghost of someone who had died some time ago.

I was just about to say her name when she put a finger to her bill. She turned around and went through the door. I felt compelled to follow. She stopped every now and again, but I was never close enough to touch her. I don't think I could have if I had wanted to though.

Seeing Rosalynn brought back painful memories, still raw, still very present in my mind. My eyes were blurring with unshed tears. I blinked quickly, bidding them to leave. _Why here? Why now?_

As I followed her ghost, I noticed she started moving faster. I had to start running to keep up with her. I followed her far out, to the edge of Danville. We stopped at a hill with a tree and a well. Rosalynn faded through the well. "Wait!" I called out softly.

I jumped onto the well's edge and looked down. The water was pretty high up and the moon shone overhead. I had a good view of the reflection in the water. The reflection gave me many memories of my past: my mistakes, my hardships… my struggles.

Epolenep appeared in the reflection of the water and sneered at me. "You are no longer welcome here," I said. I jumped into the well. Once I hit the water, I felt myself being pulled down. By weeds? What was pulling me under? My few gasps for breath had water in them.

I thrashed in the water, feeling something in my chest breaking, giving way. I felt a surge in my veins, a hot surge that burned. I flailed my arms and finally grabbed the rope. I grabbed on with both hands. I panted and gagged out the excess water. My head felt heavy, as if my consciousness was fading. I shook my head and splashed the water into my face.

I took a moment to look into the water and saw plants I recognized all too well. One of the ingredients to the Opposites Divide project. A cure for madness. I groaned. "I should have done this a long time ago," I said, to no one in particular. "That's a mind trip I don't need to take again."

I tried to climb up the rope, but my limbs felt heavy. I slipped off, but fell into the bucket, which was rising up. Someone was pulling the rope. I looked up and saw freedom close at hand.

* * *

Perry

 _Please, please… I can't lose her again. Please._ I pulled the rope, one hand after the other. It was a good thing that I had woken up and followed her out here. When the bucket was at the top, I saw Penelope in it. I held the rope up and tied it to one of the well's posts. I then hopped onto the well's edge and reached a hand out to help Penelope into my arms. She collapsed into them and we both fell outside the well.

"Sorry! Sorry. Are you all right?" she asked. I had landed on my back and she on top of me.

"I'm fine, Pen. Are you all right?" I asked.

"Yeah. Better than I've been in a while."

"That's good." I pulled her in with one arm and kissed her. "I missed you, Pen."

"I missed you too, Perry," she replied, her eyes glassy with tears.

"Come here." I held her in my arms and she cried into my fur. I petted her back soothingly. "It's all right, Pen. It'll be okay," I affirmed.

"I just wanna go back to the way it used to be, Perry. I'm so tired of all of this. I just wanna go home."

"We'll get there, Pen. I promise." Her tears weren't done yet, but I still held her fast to me. I wasn't going to be apart from her again. We would have a normal, quiet life. No more danger. Just our family. "I promise."

* * *

Enigma

"What did I even bring you in for? What was my excuse? Your magic? This is ridiculous! I hate this body! You walk around like some… some nitwit! I am done!" I shouted.

"Does this mean I get my body back?" asked Doofenshmirtz. The one advantage to this height, at least, was that I finally stood physically over the people I had stood over mentally. "Well, I guess I'm the Enigma now," he shrugged, pretending to be nonchalant.

"You think you're so clever, don't you, Galah? No, you are not getting your way. Not from me! Not that easily!"

"Look, you're finally getting back to where you were a while ago. You're on your way to winning again. What more do you want?"

"I WANT TO DIE!" I immediately took back my words. "I mean, ugh… I'm very tired, Doofenshmirtz. I don't feel normal. I don't feel like I was meant to exist. This whole existence is like some cruel play."

"Or Fanfiction."

"Shut up, would you?" I sighed. "This isn't fun anymore. Besides, I have a new plan and I'm going to need your magic to do it. So, like it or not, you're staying with me for a while longer. Until I get what I want, I won't stop. I can't."

"Look, maybe I'm not the one to be saying this and you're certainly not the type to listen to something like this, but maybe you should see a counselor or something."

"Close, Doctor, but still off the mark. I am going higher. I am going beyond. This plan will take some time. It will take a little longer than this one, I think, but it ought to be well worth it."

"And… what exactly is your plan?"

I leaned in close and flicked his bill. "Spoilers, Doctor. Spoilers." He clamped onto his bill with his hands to still it. "Just wait. I shall have my dear Penelope and all those who oppose me will be gone… and it will all be done at the push of a few small buttons." I laughed victoriously as my new plan formed further in my mind. This was going to be good.

* * *

 **We've come a long way. Today, five years ago, I published the first chapter of the first Agents story. Now, here I am working on number five.**

 **A question for you, dear readers, should I write two more Agents stories or combine the elements of both stories into one last finale? From the way this story has been going, I'm just not sure I could fill book six with enough substance before book seven, BUT I could probably fit everything I need into a lengthier final book six. What do you think?**

 **Let me know any ideas you have in the reviews for this and future Agents stories. It's not over yet, but I am looking to the future. Also, be sure to check out my profile page for my year five statistics, which should be posted either now or very soon hereafter. As always, I request that you please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


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